Speaker Mike Johnson Asked Point Blank About CBO Analysis Of Budget Showing Millions Losing Healchare

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Speaker Johnson speaks to reporters after the CBO analysis of the Big Beautiful Bill.

Transcript

00:00I'm concerned about losing their health care coverage under your bill,

00:03nearly 11 million according to CBO, beyond just undocumented.

00:08We're not buying the CBO's estimates.

00:10I don't think that's right.

00:11We're getting flexibility to the states.

00:14The primary emphasis is on the work environment.

00:16That's the largest pool of people that they claim to be affected.

00:20And the minimal work environment is 20 hours a week.

00:24Volunteer in your community, get a job or do a job training program.

00:27That is what I think most of the American people would demand and deserve.

00:32It's common sense, and that's what we're doing.

00:34I don't buy their numbers.

00:35We have other estimates.

00:37What if the work environment is pushed back when the Senate, the time frame?

00:40I hope they won't do this.

00:41I mean, the public opinion polling shows that this is a common sense reform.

00:45It's something that we should have done a long time ago.

00:47I'll defend this in any town hall in any district in America,

00:50and I think the Senate understands that.

00:52I hope they'll stick by it because it's a really important reform, again, to strengthen the program.

00:56That's what we're trying to do.

00:57How about SALT?

00:59I'm working on that, too.

01:01Well, I just talked to my SALT caucus on the floor,

01:03and I'm going to go communicate to the Senate again.

01:06It's a very delicate thing.

01:08We have to maintain the equilibrium point that we reached in the House,

01:11and it took almost a year to get to that point,

01:13so I don't think we can toss that on the air.

01:14Is there any wiggle room?

01:15I'm about to find out.

01:16Elon Musk just said we need a brand-new bill that doesn't grow the deficit.

01:19He's actually a quote-tweeting video of you from the press conference this morning

01:22saying a brand-new agent last night.

01:24Do you have any response?

01:25He says we need a brand-new bill that doesn't grow the deficit.

01:27Elon, look, we don't have time for a brand-new bill,

01:30and I want Elon and all my friends to recognize the complexity of what we've accomplished here.

01:34This extraordinary piece of legislation,

01:37record number of savings,

01:38record tax cuts for the American people,

01:41and all the other benefits in it.

01:42We worked on the bill for almost 14 months.

01:44You can't go back to the drawing board,

01:46and we shouldn't.

01:47We have a great product delivered here,

01:48so I know it's not perfect by some people's estimations,

01:52but you cannot make the perfect enemy of the very, very, very good.

01:56We're proud of this product.

01:57The House Republicans are proud of it,

01:58and we're happy to go out and explain that to everybody,

02:01so I'll continue to try to reach Elon and tell him.

02:04Extol the merits of our work here.

02:06I hope he'll understand this.

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